BANG! Can I open the door in an hour?

Personally, I believe all the concerns about the "big bang" are just a lot of noise...

Go ahead an open whenever you want, the ONLY concern about opening it is that the longer you have it open, it will increase the cooking time.

Just to be on the safe side I'll send my hubby to open the door & flip them - he doesn't have any hair on his head to worry about being singed. Love the good advice & humor on this board. Thanks for all you do!

The only time I've seen a "fire" on the inside, is in the larger CS's if you open the door AND open the wood box AND there is a lot of wood in there waiting to go.

You'll be safe, if not, hope Hubby has some good insurance...just kiddin' (he's not reading over your shoulder is he?)

Smokin'

No worries. The "bang" is a result of thermal expansion, made more noticable because it involves sheet metal. The big flat surface tends to amplify the sound because of it's resonance, kind of the way a speaker cone works.

My furnace does the same thing. So does my cold smoke rig once in a while. You're safe.

The bang made me jump a couple times, but I never saw any damage caused by it. The Chow-Chow and the Wolfhound were both very concerned. I don't see the need to open the smokette and turn the ribs, though.

i did open my smokette one time when i frist got it and wham i got a nice flame in the face with little wood in the box. dont open it or you will see fire. jeff

Anyone who has experienced this explosions (I have seen 2 in my smokette) has got to know that the volume of smoke and the pressures with which the smoke is expelled, and the length of the phenomena makes the "thermal expansion" theory just plain bunk. There is just no way that any metal panel in that oven is flexing from thermal expansion sufficiently to expel that much smoke and gas. I'm sure CS would rather have us think it is just thermal expansion, however, this is simply volatile hydrocarbon gasses naturally found in the wood chips collecting and igniting, no doubt when the heating coil cycles on. Thankfully, the smokette is built like a safe and contains this explosion.

I would say that if you need to open the CS in the first 3 hours, when this is most likely to happen, be sure to turn it off first and keep clear of the door when you pop the latch.

quote:

Originally posted by zacher:
[qb] There is just no way that any metal panel in that oven is flexing from thermal expansion sufficiently to expel that much smoke and gas. [/qb]

What you describe is more pronounced than what I've seen. I've never had a situation where smoke is actually expelled from the unit. I've had the fuel in the woodbox ignite when opening the door, but it's a pretty minor issue and I don't think it's the same thing that you're describing. I suspect we're talking about different phenomena here.

quote:

Originally posted by zacher:
[qb]
I'm sure CS would rather have us think it is just thermal expansion
[/qb]

Actually I've found CS to be quite openminded on the subject. They're also very conservative in their recommendations on how to use the equipment. I don't think there's any effort to misdirect anyone as you seem to suggest.

quote:

Originally posted by zacher:
[qb]
I would say that if you need to open the CS in the first 3 hours, when this is most likely to happen, be sure to turn it off first and keep clear of the door when you pop the latch. [/qb]

That sounds reasonable.

Both arguments appear valid. Bottom line...it's great to know that you can receive this much support for a $450.00 product. The fact that people are so passionate about this cooker speaks volumes.....

When it happens in my smokette, there is a large pop, and BILLOWS of smoke are forceable ejected from the top vent, the drain vent and from all seams in the door. As others have described, it goes on for 2-3 seconds with great force and pressure hissing out. The volume of gas expelled is large and creates a smoke "mushroom" of 5-8 feet in diameter.

I didn't mean to cast aspersions on CS with my comments; I was frankly reacting to our moderator's repeates assertion that this is thermal expansion.(Sorry Smokin...) I am a technical person and a patent lawyer, and from what I observe, it just can't be that. L.A. I can see from your comments you're probably a mediator--ha ha ha....Zacher

On occasion. Actually I'm in sales and marketing. Funny thing is that you should have seen my very first post in the forum (far more critical than yours). In fact, Smokin' even sent me an e-mail saying that he deleted it.....but I saved it for future reference. If you're curious, I'll re-post. I have no experience with the "bang", so I can't comment, other than the fact that I think it was Joseph, not Smokin', that spoke of thermal expansion (Smokin' being the moderator). Anyway, I think it will be interesting to see the eventual outcome of this debate....my conclusion, after owning the Smokette for 4 months, is that it's everything that they said it was, and more. Now watch me get the "bang" on my next cook...;-)

I don't see this as a debate, really. I see it as people sharing experiences trying to understand the situation. I'd like to understand it, for several reasons. I recommend the equipment to clients, several of which have already purchased. It would be good if I could to explain to them what's going on and what they can expect in normal use. I find this discussion very helpful.

I think there's more than one phenomena at work here. My experience with the "bang" started when I was breaking in the unit. It was nothing that I worried about because it reminded me very much of what my furnace does when it warms up. It makes noises.

What zacher is describing sounds like a very different thing. I've never had any positive pressure occur during the so-called "bang", it's strictly noise, sometimes a sharp one, sometimes not. What he describes is much more pronounced. It sounds more like rapid combustion of some sort.

Two different phenomena, or so it would seem at this point.